Evening Comical“United Crisis - Where Do We Go From Here”? screamed the front page headlines of yesterday’s evening Chronicle. The newspaper that claims “to inform, engage, challenge and entertain”. Well they certainly entertain what with their constant contradictions, mistruths, lies and downright propaganda… and Alan Oliver of course, the man with more faces than Mount Rushmore.

But do they inform and challenge? Do they heck as like. They are to Newcastle United what sunderland were to the Premiership last season - a walk over. Instead of asking why there is a crisis at Newcastle United or looking into the mismanagement of the club that has brought United and their fans to their knees they prefer to blame the long since sacked Graeme Souness for wasting money and pointing their fingers at the players, usually the foreign lads.

Conveniently ignoring the fact that it is their big pall and in Oliver’s case hero Freddy Shepherd who signs the cheques that buys these players, negotiates the contracts that sustain their exclusive lifestyles and appoints the likes of Souness to manage them. Meanwhile Shepherd and his fellow board of directors get off scot free despite being responsible for the club’s fortunes on and off the pitch.

On one of the darkest days in the club’s history where all but the foot of the post saved United from propping up the Premiership table as the Magpies lost their 7th Premiership game in 11, a match fans were being ejected from by stewards for chanting “Shepherd Out”, fighting among one another on the stands and Club Captain Scott Parker and Stephen Carr telling pockets of the faithful where to go, the best the Chronicle and its writers could muster up was:

“What the hell has happened since Newcastle were third top three and a half years ago? What is next? Where is the potential saviour? Where is hope?” - John Gibson

“The Newcastle United players have got to look at themselves.” - Alan Oliver

As ever it was left to fans’ texts and comments to point and ask questions of Shepherd, his fellow cohorts in the boardroom and the unqualified, out of his depth manager they chose to appoint on our behalf.

A man who both Chairman and Chronicle continue to claim to be the fans’ choice no less - forgetting the clamour for Ottmar Hitzfeld and Martin O’Neill who ironically topped the Chronicle’s very own poll in 1st and 2nd place respectively, a poll that mysteriously went missing from their website with no explanation.

While fans ask questions and seek their own answers to the club’s problems the Chronicle are happy to sit on the fence and waffle around the more pertinent issues surfacing such as the financial crisis at St. James’ Park, the failures in the transfer market and the fact that since this current board took over the club have went from 2nd in the League to 19th. Aston Villa, a club synonomous with mediocrity until messrs Lerner and O’Neill took over have finished above United in that time more times than not.

When will the Chronicle and their writers start standing up to Newcastle United and telling it how it is - like they also claim to do - instead of skirting around serious issues that are being ignored and replaced with filler-copy and the usual sound bites from “upbeat” managers, “determined” players and “resolute” chairmen.

When the club reported losses of £12m recently, a significant story with untold ramifications, the Chronicle’s own report may as well have been copy and pasted directly from the official website so bereft of analysis and commentary was it.

Meanwhile a long time Newcastle United fan continues to engage and inform the masses by REALLY telling it how it is via his plain english speaking Nufc Finances website, constructed and maintained at a financial and time sapping cost.

But done so nonetheless out of sheer frustration at the lack of true reporting on this issue by the local media who if you were daft enough to look to for factual information, would have you believe that there is plenty of money at the Old Gallowgate which explains this recent beauty by “man in the know” Oliver:

“United’s failure to strengthen their squad in the close season - because of a lack of money - is now coming home to haunt them and all fans can do is hope the situation will be addressed in the January transfer window.”

Lack of money? Only Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs spent more than we did in the summer. £15m is hardly a “lack of money”, and now they’re advocating another spending spree in January… No wonder we are in debt! But then had the Chronicle actually looked into the financial mismanagement, like NUFC Finances have done, they’d know all of this wouldn’t they.

Instead we get the inane waffle of the chairman and manager’s personal friend which in itself is a conflict of interests, and the odd rant from John Gibson, whose mutterings I personally enjoy and whom I regard as a good man and a good journalist.

(One of my fave Toon books was penned by Gibson)

Now I understand the Chronicle are in a precarious position here and have to maintain an amicable relationship with the club but to the point of ignoring the truth, misinterpreting facts and being seen as a mouthpiece of the chairman’s?

Not my words but the words of the Daily Mail. If the national media and United fans can see it, why can’t they themselves?

A few challenges for the Chronicle

To prove that fans wanted Glenn Roeder as manager, a line you continually spin, and if you’re incapable of doing so, to please stop perpetuating this myth.

To look into the finances of Newcastle United like NUFC Finances have done. I’m sure they will allow you to quote from their website.

To look into Belgravia and any other would be interested parties looking to take over Newcastle United, to offer an alternative to Shepherd’s and the Halls - the very things fans are protesting for.

If you have the balls…